The Hall of Valhalla
by RakuKonpaku
Summary: Nobody who knew him expected Kamijou Touma to have a long life, but even in the end... Will be risk of spoilers up to latest novels at all times, unsure of how much will be referenced.
1. Prologue

Hello all, this idea has been floating around for a while. This fic will focus on what I see as a possible end to the life of Kamijou Touma. I may or may not also depict some happenings of the years between where the novels are currently at and the death of our boy. As for "A Case Study", I am still occasionally working on it, but finding the right wording has been tricky. The first full chapter for this fic will either come later tonight or sometime tomorrow depending on how I feel.

Anyway, read and enjoy.

* * *

 _Honestly, nobody who knew what he often got into expected Kamijou Touma to have a long life. When trouble was around, he always tried to be the first one in; and when somebody was in trouble, he always tried to shield them with his own flesh. Hospital trips were a weekly thing, and the doctors eventually decided to make restraining him until discharge a permanent solution to his breakouts. Even then, he would find a way, he always did._

 _In the end, it wasn't his many enemies that did him in, nor was it friendly fire. It's almost comical, in the end it was the Thing hiding inside him that put Kamijou Touma down for good. Even while the Thing was trying to break loose from its seal; a side-effect or perhaps the reason of Imagine Breaker residing in his right arm, he never stopped trying to help others. While the Thing was slowly breaking him apart, withering him from the inside, his thoughts were always on how to stop it from breaking loose into the world; his own life was merely an afterthought. I wish my friend could rest in peace, but I guess his misfortune truly was something else, and his own soul became part of the seal on whatever that Thing is. In the end, he did not even get to embrace the peace of death._

 _I can't help but blame myself a bit for this. Time and again I relied on him to fix our problems. Time and again, he was thrown into fights that weren't even his. Now that one of my best friends is gone, the only way I can honor his sacrifice is to aid in the creation of a more permanent seal. The creation of his tomb._

 _-Fallere825_


	2. Chapter 1

Hello all, another chapter here. This actually ended up a bit more than I originally intended, as the parts I had floating in my head aren't until the next parts. Again, I am a lazy person so I can't guarantee when an update will happen.

As for those who already posted reviews, thanks. However, as I am not a nice person I must ask that you check your grammar just a tad more; it gets hard to read them.

Somebody mentioned writing a story of Touma going evil or the like and while I was thinking of writing about the "Demon Lord Touma" end, that probably won't happen for a while since I would need to keep things in character.

Anyway, read and enjoy.

* * *

It was just another routine day for Kamijou Touma; attempt to go to school, get interrupted by some event, save the day, and end up in the hospital. The same routine that had been a part of his life since the day he lost his memories several years before. Even in college, his work never ended. Truly, the only difference is that his work could no longer fly under the radar. The man had simply become a world celebrity.

Despite moving out on her own with Stiyl, Index still often pestered Kamijou for food, and was still his relied upon source of common magic knowledge. Years of constant battles and the infinite hells with Othinus had taken their toll; however, and Othinus saw it as her duty to try to repair his damaged mind. At least, that was what she told the others. Even after returning to normal size she often accompanied Kamijou on his work in disguise, saying she couldn't trust him to not do something incredibly stupid. It was during the aftermath of one of these routine events that things went downhill.

In the same hospital and the same room, Kamijou Touma was recovering from his wounds. Two Anti-Skill officers were standing guard outside, preventing the media from harassing the man while he was recovering. Only those who were permitted were allowed past; luckily at the time the two people in the room with him were Index and Othinus.

"Well then, what did I say about that thug with the gun? You were lucky that you were wearing the armor that delinquent boy managed to arrange for you. The doctor says your arm would normally be in that cast for a month, but we all know that won't last." Othinus stated while sitting in a chair next to Kamijou's bed. After the ordeal with the magic gods was resolved, the world leaders announced that her help allowed her crimes to be "absolved under the condition that she continued to aid Kamijou Touma." She wasn't complaining, but during the ordeal she regained enough of her power for it to be a problem, and retrieved her eye from the well to live as a mostly ordinary human. However; despite retrieving the eye she still retained supernatural abilities, and it was uncertain about whether she could actually age. Now with both eyes and normal clothes, she held a small tablet and was idly reading while keeping the boy company.

To her right, Index had just finished eating a sandwich and started berating the young man in front of her. "We keep telling you to not do things alone; you should have called Short-Hair for help when you found out they had guns. Even with my perfect memory I'm still not sure how you've managed to survive so long." The young man sheepishly scratched his head at the two ladies lecturing him and tried to think of a reply. "Well, I didn't want to risk him doing something drastic to the hostage and I had already taken out the other by that point so…" Kamijou averted his eyes while trying to give an excuse. Even with his eyes to the wall he could feel the glares coming from the other direction.

Luckily for the misfortunate boy a knock came at the door before opening. "It's Stiyl, I brought some things for you." Through the door came the noise of some aggressive journalists and the tall red-haired priest holding a box. The tall boy lazily walked to the chair on the opposite side of the bed of the two girls and sat down while placing the box on a nearby table. After sitting down, Stiyl checked the pockets usual black robe before bringing out a pack of cigarettes. He looked like he was about to pull one out before remembering where he was and putting them back. "I think I've been stuck here too often, it's starting to feel too much like home." Stiyl sighed as he reached for the box he had just put down. Touma wryly smiled while replying "You should stop smoking sometime you know, Komoe-sensei always gets on your case about how bad that is for you." Stiyl briefly glared at the spiky-haired fool before bluntly stating "I don't want to hear any advice for a long life from somebody who ends up in the hospital as often as you. For the life of me I don't know how you can recover so damn fast." Now surrounded by irritated friends, Kamijou couldn't do anything but let out a deep sigh.

But in the middle of that sigh he started coughing. Bringing his right hand up to his mouth he continued to hack and cough for a full thirty seconds before glancing at his hand and quickly but subtly placing it under his bedsheet. "Hey Touma are you okay? Maybe I should call the doctor real quick…" Index worriedly looked at Touma and then the small phone on the wall for contacting the doctor. Othinus; however, had her focus on the hand he had placed under the sheet. "Hold on, Touma let me see that hand." Othinus commanded in a serious voice while pointing to his right hand. Despite the commanding tone, Kamijou wryly raised his left hand, when Othinus angrily grabbed his right hand from under the sheet and examined it. It was then she found it to be pulsing unnaturally, and a couple small cuts had appeared and started bleeding. Everybody in the room aside from Kamijou's eyes widened in surprise looking at the hand, before focusing on the face of the boy it was attached to.

"Just what the hell is this!?"

"Ahhh!? Doctor! Doctor!"

"You bloody fool, why were you trying to hide this?"

All three of them exclaimed at once when they saw the hand and Index started reaching for the phone. While Index was contacting the doctor, Othinus started grilling Kamijou. "I said explain this; why were you trying to hide the fact that that your hand is doing…this? Well?" Touma frowned and looked at the ceiling while slowly responding. "This has been happening on occasion for a few months now, I mentioned it to the doctor but he doesn't know either. It didn't seem to be a big deal so I didn't want you all worrying about it." The words slowly came from the man's mouth as Stiyl and Othinus both frowned. "Bullshit it's 'not a big deal'; hands don't just start pulsing and ripping themselves apart. I'm going to get the full story from the doctor when he gets in here and you damn well better cooperate." Othinus angrily spat out while Stiyl nodded and added his own bit "Agreed, no matter how much you try to claim to be a 'normal human' we all know you have _something_ supernatural within you. Whatever that Thing is, it's attached or sealed to your right hand, and if said hand is pulsating like this…" Stiyl started frowning and put a hand to his chin while he started to think further. Turning to Index who had just hung up the phone, he paused for a moment before asking "Index, do you think you could take a look at this and see if anything comes up in the grimoires?" Index nodded and started concentrating on the hand while Touma uncomfortably started trying to pull the hand back. Othinus glared at him for the attempt and berated him "Keep still, or I'll have the nurses bring the restraints back in. Just why are you so intent on hiding this anyway? You normally never bother hiding your wounds so much." While they thought, another knock came from the door, and the usual frog-faced doctor walked in with his clipboard.

"I told you they would find out eventually." The old man stated as he observed Kamijou's right hand. The pulsating continued under the doctor's examination, and seemed to be getting worse. "This is…strange. I'm going to need to get a better look inside of this to figure just what the hell is going on." The doctor grimaced while saying this, and pulled out a small phone. While the doctor was making a call, the others in the room looked at Kamijou who continued to avoid eye contact. They all could tell something was very wrong. They sat in silence, their minds turning in an attempt to figure things out.

* * *

"Now this is strange" Heaven Canceller looked over the recording of the brief surgery done to figure out what was causing Kamijou Touma's right hand to pulsate like it was. Just one problem arose. "There is absolutely nothing out of place. Everything is perfectly in order in his arm." The doctor took a sip of coffee before thinking for a moment and reaching for his phone. Despite being a man of science, he knew of the existence of 'another side'; the existence of magic. Being a doctor was a curious thing, one made all sorts of connections while saving lives. It was true when he saved Aleister a long time ago, and it was true when he saved the oddly dressed man named Fiamma. It was a strange conversation while the one-armed man was in the hospital; injured after an apparent attempt at stopping a magic god; and it was that same conversation that led the doctor to believe Fiamma may have some sort of idea of what was going on.

* * *

"So to sum things up, none of us are entirely sure what that Thing is." Othinus sighed as she went over the notes the various experts had taken. 103,000 grimoires, a former magic god, God's Right Seat, and various other magicians and scientists all sat in silence at that proclamation. Index continued to focus with her eyes closed as she sifted through the library in her mind, referencing whatever she could find that may lead to a hint. The few that came up were vague at best, and all of them led to the same conclusion: if the Thing broke free, all hell would break loose. Fiamma scratched at the stump of his lost right arm before reiterating "whatever it was, it scared me. Even when I was at the height of my power during the World War I had orchestrated; all of it paled before whatever that Thing was. Though come to think of it, Kamijou Touma was talking to _something_ shortly before crushing it and regrowing his right arm. I am starting to think he may be hiding the most important clue about whatever the Thing may be." Othinus took some short notes as Fiamma spoke, before letting out and irritated sigh "I would have preferred it if you mentioned that bit sooner, but…" The blonde scratched her head with the pen in her hand before putting down the notes. "I'll try asking the idiot again, but he's being unusually secretive about this." Othinus stood up as she said that and left the room. Those still remaining looked at each other, and eventually Fiamma looked at Index and spoke up. "Holder of the Grimoires, did any of those references to what might have been the Thing mention any way of preventing it from getting loose?" Index frowned for a moment before replying "Yes…however all of them required a soul to complete the seal. It also seems that the seals were temporary, as the Thing would eventually move to another host and try to grow from within them. It seems Touma is currently acting as both seal and host, but to make the seal more permanent would require him to be sealed as well…" The various people in the room all sullenly looked around at that statement; almost all of them had been helped in some way or another by Kamijou, and forcing the young man to essentially die like that did not sit well. "Even if it came down to that…just how in the hell would we bring it up…" said Stiyl while solemnly putting a hand to his face.

"Glad to see I could rely on you all to find the solution to this for me, I was worried you would be too concerned with keeping me alive." A voice came from behind the door to the room as Kamijou Touma calmly walked in. His right arm was in a sling, but he was still visibly gritting his teeth while holding the cast around his wrist. The young man casually walked over to the chair Othinus had been in just before and took a seat. Everybody could tell something was off with him; at least more off than usual. His face showed a muted expression of both relief and despair, but nobody in the room could fully tell what he was thinking. Silence continued in the room for a few minutes, until the door opened and a pissed off Othinus walked in.

"Your escorts told me you gave them the slip, so I had a feeling you might have worked your way over here. How long have you been listening in on all of this?" Othinus imposingly stood over Kamijou while interrogating him. "For quite some time actually. I had to hide when you were leaving the room and you walked right past me." Kamijou gave a thin smile as he responded before continuing. "I learned quite a bit over the years, though in the end this problem was far outside of my league." Kamijou turned to look at Index, and the girl averted her eyes. "Index, go into more detail about that seal you were mentioning earlier, with all of the knowledge gathered in this room you all should be able to seal this Bastard for good." Touma wryly raised his right arm as everybody started at him in shock. Fiamma was the first to speak up "you did hear the part where the host is sealed as well, right? If we use this knowledge to seal that Thing, you will have to be sealed as well." Fiamma glanced around the room before resuming "I understand facing down impossible odds is a common thing for you, but in this case it truly will end in your death, do you understand that? No, I guess it wouldn't really be considered 'death' in this case, if you simply died the Thing would likely move to a new host."

Kamijou avoided eye contact with any of the people in the room while he fidgeted a bit. He continued to sit in silence before eventually opening his mouth "I guess…it won't be the first time I've died. It had to stick eventually, right?" His casual acceptance of his own demise stunned the room into silence. Looking around, Kamijou started speaking again "look, I knew this would happen eventually. This Bastard has been gnawing at my dreams for a long time now, and it's only been getting more powerful and persistent." The young man let out a small, dry chuckle before continuing "hell I haven't really been able to sleep for a long, long time. I guess I've just been really good at hiding it since it seems Othinus never noticed."

For those who were close friends for the young man, the look in his eyes was crushing: the look of somebody who had been through hell time and again; the look of somebody who had truly seen death. Sensing the mood of the room, Kamijou slowly got up and made his way to the door. "I'm trusting you all to make sure this works; let me know if you need me for anything." After the door closed nobody spoke. The only sound was a few sniffles from those trying to keep themselves from breaking down into tears. Eventually, Othinus got fed up with whatever was going on in her mind and slammed her fist onto the table.

"Just leave it to him to push the hardest part on us at the last moment."

"Damn it."


	3. Extra chaper 1

Hello all, just a quick extra chapter here. This idea floated up in my head while planning and it didn't really fit in with the next chapter so I'm releasing it as sort of an extra. Not much else to say for the moment, other than I'm too bored to do much else so I might end up working on the real chapter 2 soon.

For some weird reason, the site won't let me simply label this "chapter 1.5"

Anyway, read and enjoy.

* * *

"So that's how it's gonna be huh..." A blonde young man that looked like a strange cross between delinquent and professional stared into his coffee. To his right sat a rather annoyed looking albino in a police uniform. Opposite of both of them was one of the most feared and loved existences in the world, quietly sipping some tea.

Kamijou Touma currently did not look like a man who had just announced to some friends that was going to die the next week. Calmly drinking tea; calmly eating a small pastry; he exuded such calmness that it was freakishly unnatural. To the two young men sitting across from him, this was the same as usual. They learned over the years that the calmer Kamijou seemed, the worse the situation probably was; and right now he gave off the vibe of a Buddha just prior to ascension. "There's no way around it, I knew this was only a matter of time, might as well make damn sure it counts." Touma's reply made it sound like he was trying to be reassuring, but neither Hamazura nor Accelerator were convinced.

"I know you always try to be a hero even if you claim otherwise, but even in those cases there was a small chance. I guess I was right; you are suicidal, not that I can really talk when it comes down to it." Accelerator said while he put down his coffee. He checked his phone a bit before sighing and saying "the Sisters' network is going crazy right now, none of them are happy about this." Kamijou wryly smiled before speaking "please make sure they don't try to do something stupid, I know they're fond of me, but I wouldn't want this to turn into another tragedy." A vein on Accelerator's head visibly bulged at that statement "just what the hell makes you think I can do anything about it? They've already decided as a whole they're going to guard your tomb. Though for something like this some sort of protection from curious fools and grave robbers would be needed. Hell if that idol theory crap works like I think it does somebody might try to base it off of you. This is going to be a huge pain in the ass." Accelerator said while massaging his forehead.

"Well, let's get away from that topic, I've already talked to most of the others and got similar replies. Hey Hamazura, how's your daughter doing?" Kamijou said while turning to look at Hamazura. The blonde flinched slightly before replying "she's starting to learn how to walk; Mugino is oddly excited about helping raise her. She already claimed herself to be, and I quote 'the cool big sister'. Honestly it scares me a little, but Rikou says it'll be fine." Hamazura laughed a little while saying that, and continued to have a small smile on his face while he looked Kamijou in the eye. "I'm gonna miss ya boss; there's not much I can do, but I'll try to keep things tidy on this end."

Accelerator opened his mouth and was about to say something when an alarm sounded in the distance. All three men turned to look towards where the sound was coming from when the both Accelerator and Hamazuras phones started ringing. Both answered while standing up; Kamijou quickly followed suit and placed some money on the table as they moved for the exit. "Seems a few espers thought that they weren't making enough money for the levels they had. Three of them, claiming to be level 4s; holding up the bank just across the street." Accelerator stretched his arms a bit before grabbing his cane. Hamazura turned and looked at Kamijou and grinned while saying "well boss, up for one more scrap for old time's sake?" Touma fiercely smiled while punching his right hand into his left palm before replying "why not? Even I have some stress to vent." Accelerator started one of his trademark terrifying smiled before saying "try to keep damage to a minimum this time huh? I usually get blamed for it when you two do something crazy."

* * *

The last reported incident to have involved Kamijou Touma ended less than two minutes after arrival with the aid of Hamazura Shiage and Accelerator. Three level 4 espers were taken into custody, and no bystanders were injured. However, one of the suspects suffered a broken jaw, and another needed a change of pants after the incident.


	4. Chapter 2

Hello all, another update here. It has come time for our hero to go to his sleep.

This time I included some more reactions to the news though I will likely add extra chapters later going a bit more into the specifics. The particular one I will likely write about is Misaki. A long time ago I read a decent fic called "Minds Memories and Misfortune" and at the start the story went with Misaki looking into Touma's memories. The same memories including his horrific battles and gruesome injuries. This came back to my mind after reading NT11 and I couldn't help but wonder how Misaki would react to the infinite hells; the leading theory in my mind being that it would likely break her.

As for the Amakusa, I always liked them and they never seem to get to do anything in the story lately. I was particularly disappointed that they never appeared in NT10.

For the Dark Souls guy: Touma has 'died' multiple times: in OT1, OT22, and then the infinite hells in NT9. That's also not counting the fact he's been so close to death that he was probably having drinks with the reaper.

As for the one person with actual constructive criticism: I've been experimenting with different writing styles, but I'm an accounting major, not a literature one so my efforts are admittedly half-assed.

Anyway, rambling aside. Read and enjoy.

* * *

Not long after the meeting where Kamijou Touma declared his fate, news spread across the globe. World leaders, magicians, scientists; many of the most influential people of the world came to an agreement on one thing: if Kamijou Touma said there was catastrophic danger then there most likely was. Information, materiel and professional workers started being pledged from all over the globe while those with the knowledge to do so started making the plans. Despite all of the different people and factions involved, everything was kept a complete secret from the public, and the media never found out. Luckily, Touma being injured was not an unusual sight, so nobody on the street thought twice about his right arm being wrapped in bandages; a temporary seal made just in case.

On the more personal side, close friends and comrades of Kamijou each took the news in their own way.

Misaka Mikoto confronted Touma, but couldn't accomplish anything.

Kumokawa Seria signed a few papers to secure as much help as she could for the project then locked herself up in her room.

Tsuchimikado Motoharu grimly set off to start cleaning the city of factions that would be likely to try to take advantage of Kamijou's absence.

Shokuhou Misaki attempted to read Touma's mind to see if she could find any clues about the Thing, but during her attempt she watched a small portion of the infinite hells and collapsed.

Nobody actually told the Amakusa, but when they found out they all traveled to Academy city to get an explanation directly from the source.

* * *

"So what did you find out Tatemiya?"

Gathered in an out of the way park in Academy city was the Amakusa Catholic group. At the center of the groups attention was the Substitute Supreme Pontiff Tatemiya Saiji. Despite his best attempts the spiky haired man could not hide his anguish as he started speaking. "He's decided on his own to do this; I couldn't do anything to convince him otherwise. I guess it's only natural; the others have been trying for the past week while following his instructions to create a permanent seal and haven't had any luck either."

The entire group remained silent. The Amakusa were like a family, together no matter what the odds were and remained true to their goal to have their true leader return to them; and they considered Kamijou to be one of the group. It wasn't official, and they rarely got the chance to interact, but in their eyes Kamijou Touma was an honorary Amakusa; and they did not abandon their family.

"So, what do we want to do about this?" Tatemiya finally regained some of his composure and looked around. Men and women, young and old, they had all fought together to protect their friend when he was in danger. Together, they had faced Acqua of the Back to keep a certain boy from losing his life many years before. Now, that same young man was unflinchingly staring death in the face, and nobody seemed to be able to make him avert his eyes.

Eventually, one of the older members spoke up "if that Thing truly is such a massive threat, then we cannot stop him without finding another way." The old man in his 60's looked up to the clouds before sighing and speaking once more. "That's the same problem everybody else has come to when talking to him. None of us have another solution, so nobody can talk him out of it."

Silence once more reigned over the group at that statement. After a while, one of the young boys in the group nervously spoke up. "You don't think…somebody or some group may try to break the seal do you? I mean, if that Thing is claimed to be so powerful then somebody might think they can control it." The group turned and looked at the boy, and after a moment many of them realized what he was thinking.

"I see, yes that might happen." An older lady in the group started mumbling as others around her nodded in agreement. Everybody present looked at each other and came to a common unspoken agreement before one young lady resolutely spoke aloud what the group was thinking. "In other words, somebody will have to guard his tomb." Itsuwa shouldered the case that held her collapsible spear as she slowly walked towards Tatemiya.

"I'm heading off to wherever he's going, please don't try to stop me" Itsuwa smiled as she looked Tatemiya in the eye. The Substitute Pontiff briefly laughed before grinning back at her and saying "just where do you think you're heading off to alone, huh? Quit acting all cool like you're the only one going; we're all together in this." All together, the Amakusa Catholic group picked up their various packs and bags and started walking as one down the street. Normally, they would use their knowledge and experience to blend into the crowd and move unnoticed, but today they proudly stood out as a group. This time, there was no need for stealth.

* * *

Three weeks after the meeting, the day had come.

At the urging of the man himself, an appropriate place had been found, and the first stage of the seal was prepared. The seal was located at Mimir's Spring, the same place where Othinus had once left her eye in order to become a magic god. The reasoning for this was fairly simple: it was a ley line focal point, and as a Norse god, Othinus was better able to set up magical constructs in a land relevant to her mythology. Egeskov Castle was deemed an appropriate location, but the structure itself was not deemed reliable and needed to be replaced. In an almost terrifying display, the Academy City side managed to fake an earthquake that damage the castle enough for the cooperating politicians and specialists to deem it too dangerous to leave standing. After the castle was quickly torn down, the center of the seal was built, and the appropriate symbolic constructs were placed.

Those in charge quickly realized there was a danger of the seal suffering damage if left alone over the years, as Denmark is a land of harsh winter weather. While they were debating, two groups came forward as volunteers to be the guards and groundskeepers: the 9969 remaining Misaka sisters, and the Amakusa Catholic group. A bit of arguing and politicking ensued before it was agreed that the two groups would be the guards and representatives of the science and magic sides. To support the groups, construction of a small town began, and a supply route was established.

When the time had finally come to place Kamijou into the seal, Heaven Canceller gave him medicine to put him to sleep. Until the moment he fell asleep, Touma never wavered; his sleeping form was one of seeming peace. Only a few could tell the hints of pain that he hid so well. After Kamijou was asleep, he was placed into what was essentially his coffin; a rather ornate box with magic lines engraved into the surface. At the seal itself, a great many people waited in mourning clothes.

People from science and magic, rich and poor, those who worked 'underground' and those who remained in the spotlight; all walks of life gathered for the 'funeral' of a common friend. A common hero. From the armored truck that functioned as Kamijou's hearse, four young men lifted his 'casket' and solemnly carried it into the hall. Accelerator, Hamazura Shiage, Tsuchimikado Motoharu, and the strange friend of Kamijou's only known as Aogami Pierce were the pallbearers, and they wore a sober expression that was a strange sight to those who knew them. As they casket was carried through the hall, some people cried, others saluted, and a few even whispered quiet prayers. At the end of the hall, another small room contained all of the items, sigils, and magic circles needed for the seal, and within the room waited the three who found add the finishing touches: Othinus and Index.

After the 'funeral' was finished and the final touches to the first phase of the seal were added, the various people slowly started to trickle off to their usual lives. Nobody was in a good mood, but Tsuchimikado and Aogami quickly decided that their good friend would be pissed if everybody was moping around due to him and started livening the place up with that in mind. Within a few hours, a large bonfire was started and a buffet feast was revealed to have been planned. The two members of the Delta Force were well known for livening things up in their class, and they'd be damned if they were going to let their good friend's last farewell to be a gloomy affair.

Eventually, the day ended and the varying attendees had to return to their lives. The only ones to remain were the Misaka sisters and the Amakusa who took to their new duties. Just them; and one blonde former magic god.

* * *

"So you've decided to stay here as well…" Tatemiya Saiji quietly spoke to Othinus at the small house situated near the hall where Kamijou laid. It was a temporary house meant for her to be able to quickly get to the hall in case anything needed tweaking. Nobody questioned her when she requested the place, as she was the most knowledgeable one when it came to the seal. Tatemiya was there to talk and make sure everything was as needed.

"Yes, he was the only person who ever understood me, and there may come a time that he can be released without risking the Thing getting loose. That and well…" Othinus subtly brought a hand to her stomach, and Tatemiya quickly realized the implication. He thought for a moment then paled slightly "just how am I supposed to tell Itsuwa about this…" As Tatemiya brought a hand to his forehead, Othinus simply shrugged and implied that it was not her problem.

After Tatemiya left, Othinus sat down on the small bed in her room and closed her eyes. "I've done what I can for your final wish human…" The blonde girl sat in silence in the small room; eventually, she noticed small tears had leaked out. As calm as she always was she slowly wiped the tears away. "I see, so this was the punishment that I was to suffer through back then. Fate really does love irony; I only begin my sentence after my crimes had been pardoned." Othinus sat there for over an hour before finally standing up.

"Time to get to work, it wouldn't do for a former god of war to be sitting around moping for all eternity. That idiot would be mad at me if I got lazy because of him."


	5. Extra chapter 2

Hello all, another side chapter here, this time for Misaki and Seria.

A few years back I read a fanfic called "Minds Memories and Misfortune" and at the start it depicted Misaki looking into Touma's mind and seeing some of the horrifying shit he's been through. After NT9 came out I couldn't help but wonder how she would react to seeing the infinite hells, so I wrote about it! Honestly I still have some difficulty writing things out the way I want as I'm trying to avoid getting the narrative bogged down too much with unnecessary stuff.

On to some questions and comments in the reviews.

One key thing is the fact that I am vague on many things, like how far into the future or how certain characters reacted to the 'funeral'. The timeframe was left vague for two simple reasons: I'm trying to keep things as meshable with canon as possible, and it really isn't important in the slightest.

As for the side characters I felt that it would get far too bogged down if I tried to include even just half of the characters in the cast that would be present; that and I'm lazy as hell.

One person asked about Misaka and well, she's honestly completely useless in this sort of situation, hence "Misaka Mikoto confronted Touma, but couldn't accomplish anything." Misaka would be tricky to write in a situation like this as she has no knowledge or ability that would be useful, as well as the fact she is a much more straightforward person who would not be able to talk Touma out of this. If she's your favorite character then don't worry, the next thing I plan to write will have her actually participating.

As for the Valkyries, well, let's just say there was a reason that I mentioned both Othinus regaining a portion of her power and the Misaka network volunteering as guards. I'll leave one word for you about that for now that you should understand if you've read the novels: Einherjar.

Anyway, the next chapter will be the last, I'll probably write it sometime this weekend but no promises as after all I am extremely lazy.

All that aside, read and enjoy.

* * *

On one of the top floors in a high-class luxury hotel, members of the clique of the former Queen of Tokiwadai (who had since moved on to high-school) stood guard outside a lone room. With a mix of money and influence they managed to completely book and lock down a hallway, and were making sure nobody entered. Those who tried to pass were politely refused, and none tried to press the issue. Within one of these rooms sat the girl known as the Queen: Shokuhou Misaki.

The room was richly decorated with elaborate finery and many lights, but currently the room was enveloped in darkness. It was in this room that the lonely Queen replayed the events she had seen in a certain young man's memories. There was no need to repeat, as the memories themselves covered many years; yet not a second of time had apparently passed at the end of it. The girl considered herself lucky she only saw a brief overview of the events; it seemed they had damaged the young man's mind to the point where many of the memories were blurred out. Yet just a small taste of the memories a certain hero carried with him was enough to leave the girl an emotionless wreck.

 _The entire world was set against him, and the deeds he had built up were all turned so that they had only led to more tragedy. In the end, even his closest friends and family denounced his very existence and wanted him dead._

 _Watching as somebody took the place of his very existence, seeing the bonds he had built up be completely replaced by somebody else._

 _An uncountable amount of worlds where he experienced more kinds of suffering and death than the girl could have even thought of._

 _Finally; a perfect world where everybody was alive, smiling and happy; it only required his own death._

As one who dealt with the mind, Misaki knew the difference between real and fake memories; she knew that this was no illusion. The young man she had loved for so long had suffered so much right under her nose; and she had been none the wiser. However; she had no ability to even think that far, as the horrific events by themselves had quickly taken their toll on her mind.

In truth, she did not even witness 1/100th of the worlds Kamijou lived through before his attempt at suicide in the perfect world; and she did not witness the 10031 deaths that he suffered through afterwards. The young girl had witnessed a great many things both in reality and through her power, but for all her quirks she was still a sane person; and no sane person could handle that.

* * *

It had been a full week since Misaki collapsed; traumatized by her attempt to look into the mind of Kamijou Touma. Despite the accusations the Railgun would usually state, Misaki only had pure intentions of potentially finding information that could save Kamijou. Unfortunately for her not only did the Thing block the memories of itself from outside observation but her curiosity quickly brought her to witness the infinite hells. It was good fortune that she brought a couple of her more trusted subordinates with her as insurance, as they were able to quickly take her to a safe location after her collapse. However; after securing a safe location for their Queen, none of the young noblewomen had any idea of how to help their beloved leader.

At the end of this week, one unusual visitor came to the hotel. Long black hair, well-endowed and with a prominent forehead; only a few of the girls there knew of Misaki's rival: Kumokawa Seria. Despite her attempts to look proper it was evident that Kumokawa was not her usual serene self. To the high-class ladies present, the slight redness in the eyes and melancholic posture were as obvious as the color of her hair. Accompanying her was a blonde young man in a spiffy suit, his fierce eyes hidden behind a pair of rather unprofessional looking sunglasses. The young man had a very grim face that set the young ladies of the Queen's Clique on edge, but he didn't show any acknowledgement of their caution.

"I heard that foolish girl looked into his mind and hasn't done anything since; I need to talk to her." Kumokawa had none of her usual charisma while stating her intention; none of the usual grating charm that led her to be in conflict with the Queen in a very similar way that the Queen and the Railgun usually butted heads. Also just like the Railgun, few of the girls actually felt any malice from their bickering, so a few of them almost considered letting Seria through; almost.

"The Queen is not seeing anybody right now, not even us. I don't know what you know, but she hasn't been right since looking into a certain gentleman's mind. While I would appreciate it if you knew how to help her recover, we have our instructions." An elegant young lady with prominent blonde drill hair politely responded to Kumokawa's request. Seria recognized this girl as the same one that tried to get the two former level 5's of Tokiwadai to form a friendship; a strange idea that was likely born from innocent naiveté. The young lady did not notice the expression of Kumokawa's companion get even more unpleasant at the mention of 'a certain gentleman' and the young man subtly turned to Kumokawa. Rather than addressing him, Seria pulled out a cell phone and made a quick call.

After a few attempts, the call finally connected and an annoyed Seria put the phone to her ear. "I don't know what you've seen in his mind, but we need to have a talk; now. You should have known as well as I do that no sane person can handle seeing the things he's lived through." After Seria said that, nobody else made a noise. After a few minutes, a small click came from one of the doors, and a completely disheveled Misaki staggered out. All of the young ladies in the Clique let out various exclamations at the sight of such a mess of a Queen, but she paid them no notice. "Come in." Misaki quietly said that as her 'guards' started quietly fussing with her messy hair.

Seria walked to the room as Misaki dismissed her attendants, just before closing the door Seria said one last thing. "Tsuchimikado, keep an eye on things. If the Railgun comes tell her that she'll be contacted later; you know what to do for any other types." The door was swiftly shut as Tsuchimikado let out an annoyed sigh before taking up a post near the door. The young lady that held the position on the right side politely let him have that spot; citing that it was proper manners for the guard of a visitor to hold that position. The young man looked around at the beautiful women he found himself surrounded by before closing his eyes for a moment and thinking. ' _Damnit Kami-yan you're a terrible wingman; thanks to you I'm surrounded by all of these beauties but it's your fault I'm in absolutely no mood to flirt.'_

* * *

After entering the room, Misaki slowly shambled over to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of cheap tea that clashed with the extravagant room. Under normal circumstances Seria would have made some sort of quip at that, but she wasn't in the mood for idle banter. The two women sat down at a fancy marble table and Misaki poured some tea into two glasses. Both quietly sipped at the tea as Seria observed Misaki.

The blonde was showing none of her usual elegance or alertness. Her eyes were red, and they just kept staring into nothing. Even when they floated over to Seria, the black haired girl could tell that they weren't actually focusing on anything. Kumokawa didn't even need to ask to tell that Misaki had seen something traumatizing and had been crying for a long time. 15 minutes had passed before she finally spoke up.

"I'll be blunt; what did you see?" Seria resolutely looked straight into Misaki's eyes as she asked that question. At that stimulus, the blonde finally started to focus her eyes a bit as she looked at Seria. Misaki hesitated for a minute before finally answering. "Hell. The only way I can think to describe… _that_ , is Hell. I've known for a long time he gets involved in horrible situations, he nearly died while saving me." Misaki slowly and shakily took in another breath before resuming. "That man has been through more than I could have possibly imagined. I have no idea how it could be possible, but that man has died a great many times. He's suffered through entire _worlds_ that seemed to only have the purpose of breaking him."

Seria quietly took in what Misaki said and thought for a bit before replying. "Normally I would say that it must be an illusion or implanted memory but his power aside you wouldn't fall for that." Both women quietly stared at each other, a hint of acknowledgement in their eyes; for all their bickering, nobody else could match them. For all their enmity and disagreements, there was one subject they would not lie to each other about, they both understood that.

"Kumokawa we both don't care much for each other but there's nobody else I feel I could talk about this to. Touma has been through Hell; not figuratively either. That man has been through complete and utter Hell right under our noses. Whatever he got involved in was not limited to reality; he well and truly _died_ during that." Tears welled up in Misaki's eyes as she barely managed to finish talking. Seria couldn't help but be disturbed; somebody as good at manipulation as Misaki, powers or no, did not let her emotions show so clearly. Even when describing the other horrific events she had seen in people's minds she never broke her almost professional mask.

Seria took a long drink from her glass then started talking. "We've both known for a long time that man has been through things we could only imagine." She paused for a moment to consider her words before speaking up again "I was about to say you should have been prepared for it, but I'll assume that you were. What you've seen might give us a clue to help him, tell me in whatever detail you can if possible." Misaki shook her head as she replied "I thought I was prepared for anything when I looked into his mind; I really did. I've felt a great many deaths when I looked into the memories of the Misaka network; I felt nothing a living person could have been through could be worse than that. I couldn't have been more wrong, there was no way I could have been prepared for that. Even with all of his fortitude I really can't understand how that man hasn't become a vegetable." Misaki let out a broken laugh with a creepy not-smile plastered on her face. "Maybe that's why he's so intent to go to his tomb; I earnestly think he just wants the peace of death at this point."

Eventually, Misaki calmed herself down a bit and started relaying to Seria parts of the events of the infinite hells she had witnessed. Even for just a brief summary of a few of them, the girls were locked up in that room for several days. Throughout it all, the guards outside the door diligently kept watch, but no threats came.


	6. Chapter 3

Hello all, this is the last planned chapter of 'The Hall of Valhalla'.

I'm actually fairly satisfied with how it turned out overall, even if I lost some steam while writing certain parts. Trying to add a couple little stories to the idea I had was a bit tricky, and again I tried to avoid dragging things out for too long. I won't lie though, writing the Misaka network talking is a bit tricky but kinda fun.

Next up will probably be something along the lines of 'The Kamijou Faction' and 'Demon Lord Touma', however when I thought about it Touma actually directly failing completely goes against the established setting of the series. Touma is a force of nature that just saves; if he is present, everybody will be saved. Yet lately people have been fighting over who was or wasn't saved by him in previous events, and that bit there has been generating some good ideas for the next fic. This next one will have more of a plot rather than the plain idea I had for this fic.

Next up probably sometime in the next couple weeks; the story of how the Kamijou Faction was formed and the terrifying force that the different people with different abilities that will ally themselves with our fearsome hero.

But, that is for another time, for now, read and enjoy.

* * *

"Notice: unidentified intruders in area x056, y004 says Valkyrie #14052 with slight concern. 10534; that is your patrol today is it not? Says Valkyrie #14052 with a tint of annoyance."

"Ah, I was watching a mother bear with her cub says Valkyrie #10534 as she hurries over to her patrol route."

"#10534 do you want any assistance? Asks Valkyrie #17765 as she checks to make sure her uniform is on correctly."

"I do not think it will be necessary says Valkyrie #10534 as she observes the intruders. They appear to be young treasure hunters says Valkyrie #10534 as she prepares to apprehend said intruders."

"I am in position to give them a good scare if you let them walk forward about 150 meters says Valkyrie #18456 as she grins evilly."

"#18456, you I think you took some of the traits of the negative unit that existed a long time ago says Valkyrie #10534 as she avoids mentioning that she agrees with #18456"

* * *

"I'm tellin' ya man there has to be treasure in there. There's no way it's just a tomb; the Pharaohs had all sorts of gold and shit in the pyramids right?" A scraggy youth observed the giant building that seemed to be made of stone and wood through a set of thermal binoculars. As he scanned the area around the tomb, his partner quietly checked his set of tools. Included in the tools were all sorts of picks, ropes, blades and even small explosives. Around his neck was a camera and both young men had small pistols holstered on their legs.

These two called themselves 'archaeologists of the school of Jones', but in truth they were simply grave robbers. The two traveled around the world, getting into old temples and tombs by trickery, finesse, or good old brute force. As youths they made a living by petty theft, and eventually they managed to make some 'contacts' that offered hefty sums of cash for particularly hard to obtain 'art'. Today their target was a relatively young place; the tomb known as 'the Hall of Valhalla.'

Before they made their move on the tomb, they spent some time in the town that serviced it. Today was the supposedly the 200th anniversary of the day a great hero was placed within the tomb to seal a terrible demon. Most outside people in this age thought of the whole story to be a superstition, and found the story of a person being buried alive to be disturbing or barbaric. The two young thieves did not really judge it one way or the other; they had been to sacrificial altars many times before. While in the town they gathered information and got a general gist of the geography and culture of the local area.

The story of the tomb is told as follows: 200 years ago, a young man fought constantly to help the people around him. He put an end to the brief conflict known as the Third World War, stopped multiple catastrophes, and even earned the trust of a God. However, within that man slept a terrible demon, only kept in check by the strength of the Hero; but eventually the demon grew in power, and the Hero chose to be sealed rather than let it cause devastation.

The world grieved for the loss of the Hero, and a large tomb was created to honor his memory and sacrifice. The tomb was eventually called the Hall of Valhalla; the afterlife where great warriors go to when they die. Resources, knowledge and technology were brought in from across the globe to ensure that the building would last, and it is rumored that some of the secrets hidden within still remain such to this day.

The two thieves wryly noted that the comrades of the Hero knew that trouble would eventually find its way to the tomb. To the south of the tomb in a small town lived the caretakers; a religious group that was originally a Japanese offshoot of old Christianity. However, over the years the caretakers had started to treat the tomb as a religion in itself, and they claimed the God whom loved the Hero lived at the tomb itself. As well, there was a family which was claimed to be the decedents of the Hero and the God. The family was treated with upmost respect, and to this day the members of the family have continued to persevere in living up to the name 'Kamijou'; 'The One Who Purifies God'.

Besides the townsfolk who took care of maintaining the structure and the story of the Hero were the true guards of the tomb: the 10,000 Valkyries. Little is known about them, as the townsfolk themselves aren't completely sure. Some say that they were made immortal by the God to protect the tomb; others say that great warriors are recruited from across the globe to act as the guards. One small book said that within each of the Valkyrie was a small piece of pure gold; claiming it to be an age-old spell used by the God. In the end, all that was sure were two things: they always spoke in third-person and they always wore the same clothing with almost identical blank white masks that prevented most people from differentiating them.

* * *

The thieves slowly made their way up towards the tomb, and they couldn't help but be a bit more nervous than normal. "It feels like we're being watched, have you seen any of those rumored guards?" The young man with most of the tools spoke up as they observed their surroundings. Around the tomb was nothing but snow, ice and more snow; and the snowstorm they were using for visual cover made seeing difficult. The partner in front turned back to his friend and replied "nah man I didn't see anything when I looked around with the thermals; If anybody was out there, I'da seen 'em for sure." Despite the confidence in his voice the young man felt the same discomfort as his partner and was moving slower than he usually would. The two had come within 300 meters of the tomb when they were struck.

"Woah, woah, woah what the hell!?" The thieves found themselves getting lifted by the metal in their backpacks and started panicking. "Holy shit why are we flying like this? This isn't cool man what kind of messed up trap is this?" As the lead thief kept shouting a silhouette slowly approached from beyond the visual range of the snowstorm. The figure was clad in a pure-white set of fur and armor that looked like it was out of some weird fantasy game, and they carried a pack with multiple long spikes protruding vertically from it. The figure carried an extremely old rifle with a similarly aged pistol holstered on their leg.

"I believe you were warned by the townspeople that this area is off-limits says Valkyrie #10534 as she idly ponders what to do with her prey." The strange figure spoke to the thieves as they were suspended in the air, and they briefly stopped struggling to get loose. After a moment of thought, they both pulled their handguns from their holsters and started shooting at the white-garbed figure. As they fired, the ground distorted and a shield of iron sand formed to block the bullets before the guns were ripped from their hands by an unknown force. After they were disarmed, they two thieves were sent flying high into the air before dropping, then rising again like they were bungie jumping. As the two were screaming another identical figure rose from the snow not 20 meters from where they were stopped.

"Ah this is pretty fun says Valkyrie #18456 as she toys with the intruders." After a few minutes of torment, the two grave-robbers were dumped into the snow head-first, and they hastily righted themselves and looked at their captors. Both were wearing identical clothing and mostly identical blank white masks; the only different being that one of them had a scar along the left eye area. As they tried to regain coherent thought, the young men noticed a third identical figure approaching. "#18456, try to avoid maiming them too much says Valkyrie #17765 despite not really caring. Putting the trash back together is a real pain in the neck and the townspeople get uncomfortable if we dump a wreck off for them to handle Valkyrie #17765 impassively says." All three of the identical figures casually pointed their weapons at the intruders as one of them ordered "I guess that's enough playing around, you two, start marching says Valkyrie 10534 as she tries to sound authorative." The thieves did as told, completely unnerved by the identical monotone voices of their captors.

* * *

It has been 200 years since Kamijou Touma was sealed, and the clones formerly known as the Misaka Network had long ago been made undying by the Einherjar spell. As the divine aspects of the tomb were based on the Norse Mythology associated with Othinus, the tomb eventually came to be known as the Hall of Valhalla. As the Misaka sisters were being placed under the Einherjar spell to guard the tomb for the rest of its existence, a few youths noted that they were like the Valkyrie of legend, and the name stuck.

The Kamijou line was continued by the birth of the son of Kamijou Touma and the magic god Othinus; a child conceived in the time between the Hero accepting his fate and being placed within the tomb. The Amakusa Catholics that maintained the tomb passed down the legend for generations, and eventually the story of the tomb became a sort of religion in itself. Time passed and the people that Kamijou Touma knew grew old and passed, as the newer generations took up their torch and continued their duty. The stories of Kamijou Touma started to slowly fade into obscurity as historians started to doubt the credibility of the tellings of the events.

One thing remained unchanged, however: the one formerly known as Magic God Othinus still had not aged in those 200 years. She had watched her mortal child and grandchildren and so on grow up, grow old and pass away. She continued to watch over the tomb of the only one who understood her; ever waiting for the day that the world died of her love became free once more.

At the home of Othinus, a pair of young girls were helping Othinus put on some traditional clothing as an older lady gave instructions. Today marked the 200th year since the day Touma had given everything, and the town was holding a festival to celebrate his life. The festival itself was a popular stop for tourists and cultural enthusiasts, and it was among the few times that the seemingly immortal Othinus would travel to the town personally and interact with the people. Around the world, rumors were abundant about the never-changing Othinus, with more believing it to be a part played by the young women of the town rather than an actual immortal. The townsfolk let them believe what they will, as while they knew the truth, the hunt for immortality had brought trouble multiple times in the town's history.

The festival continued for three days, with the final day marking the anniversary with a parade and ceremony with a large number of the fabled 10,000 Valkyrie. As the festival drew to a close, the people of the town and many of the visitors gathered at the entrance to the tomb for a final ceremony, and those present said prayers for the Hero from varied religious beliefs. After the final ceremony, fireworks were shot into the sky as a final salute, and the people gathered around a bonfire and feast to eat, drink, dance and sing.

* * *

The traditions of a merry festival inadvertently started by the two idiots of the Delta Force that were Kamijou Touma's closest friends held to this day. Their good friend did not go to his tomb for people to cry, and they made sure to keep that part of his memory alive with a large plaque engraved with one of his favorite sayings.

 _"It honestly doesn't matter who the hero was; as long as everybody is smiling and happy I couldn't ask for anything more."_

It was in front of this plaque that Othinus quietly stood with a young girl. The festival had ended the day before and the townsfolk were starting to clean things up to return to their usual lives. The young girl was in a red and white robe based on the old Japanese traditional miko clothing, and Othinus was in an elaborate kimono. While she was not Japanese, the Amakusa that settled the town nearby were, and their Eastern traditions started to blend with the traditions of Denmark. As a former god, Othinus didn't care too much about what she wore so she let the townsfolk decide for her.

The young girl looked up to Othinus and quietly spoke up while grabbing Othinus's sleeve. "Great One, what was my ancestor like?" Othinus frowned slightly and quietly reprimanded the young girl. "Don't call me 'Great One', it feels weird." The small girl tiled her head innocently as she started talking again "but the adults said you'd get mad if I called you great-great-great-great-" Othinus quickly raised a hand to stop the young girl "Okay that's enough of that, just call me Grandma or something, adding all of those 'great's to it is annoying as well." Othinus sighed a bit as she looked towards the sealed door where Kamijou Touma lay and quietly muttered "I blame you for this, a god shouldn't be worrying about feeling old."

The former god took the young girls hand and started walking back out of the tomb. As they exited the memorial room, she noticed one of the Valkyrie quietly muttering chess movements; something she eventually inquired about and found that the connected minds often played games over the network to pass the time. As the doors were closed by the Valkyrie on duty, Othinus turned and looked once more at the grand tomb.

It had been 200 years since Kamijou Touma was sealed, and no way to release him without also releasing the Thing had ever been found. The Goddess who fell in love with the Hero could do no more than watch over his resting place as the world continued to turn. She would continue to do so until the need for the seal was no more, and the Hero could finally pass on to the next life in peace.

Until then, her quiet vigil remained unbroken.


End file.
